OverviewThe weight of glory is a happy burden. Thus God is the happiest Being in the Universe. To know Him in His pleasures is to see Him as He is and to have a fresh encounter with His transforming presence. If you are hungry for this deep delight, consider the gladness of His great heart. The things that make God glad are the measures of His greatness. Christ and the cross. Choosing His people and bruising His Son. Creating the world and revealing His worth. The gladness of His people in the greatness of His glory.

Publishers DescriptionThe weight of glory is a happy burden. Thus God is the happiest Being in the Universe. To know Him in His pleasures is to see Him as He is- and to have a fresh encounter with His transforming presence. If you are hungry for this deep delight, consider the gladness of His great heart. The things that make God glad are the measures of His greatness. Christ and the cross. Choosing His people and bruising His Son. Creating the world and revealing His worth. The gladness of His people in the greatness of His glory. // John Piper has been the senior pastor to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Menneapolis, Minnesota, since 1980. He holds degrees from Wheaton College, Fuller SEMInary, and the University of Munich (Dr. theol.). A respected theologian and author, Dr. Piper has authored many books including the best seller, Desiring God. He and his wife Noel have four sons and one daughter.

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More About Piper & John

John Piper, the preaching pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis since 1980, is the author of numerous books" "and a senior writer for "World "magazine,"" He received his doctorate in theology from the University of Munich and taught biblical studies for six years at Bethel College, St. Paul, before becoming a pastor. He and his wife, Noel, have four sons and one daughter.

John Piper's book The Pleasures of God is appropriately named one of the 20th century's top 100 books. In it he shows that no greater delight exists than the unsurpassable and all-satisfying delight of contemplating, savoring, and embracing the fullness of God's infinitely wondrous and all-sufficient character and person. And while many biblical Christians may accept this thesis, what fewer would accept is that this greatest of all delights is in fact true for God as well as for us. In other words, not only is it true that our greatest delight is in God, even more importantly, God's greatest delight is in God. According to John Piper, this latter truth is the foundation for the former. The reason we can know that our longing for deep and abiding satisfaction will rightly be met in God is that God, who seeks and does only what is best, finds his own deepest satisfaction in the character, nature, and work of his own. If God is not satisfied in being God, there is no reason to think that our own satisfaction will be found in him. However, God's call to come to him to find satisfaction is predicated on his own knowledge and experience of possessing true satisfaction in none other than himself. While Piper states his argument for this book in many places, perhaps the clearest statement is found on page 47 where he says: "The basic goal of my life and the reason for writing this book is to direct the attention of more and more people to the pleasures of God revealed in Scripture; that we might see in the pleasures of God some of the infinite measure of his worth and excellency; and, in seeing this glory, be transformed to the likeness of his Son; and give ourselves so passionately to the work of mercy and missions, that all the nations will see and give glory to our Father in heaven." God delights then in sharing of his bounty with those whom he has created and chosen, from all the peoples on the earth, to share in his unsurpassing richness. As Piper now is well known for saying, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him" (312). This revised and expanded edition of his 1991 book contains ten chapters, each focusing on a different but related aspect of God's pleasure in his own character or work. These chapters move logically from the initial focus of God's greatness and majesty in himself to his grace and condescension towards us. Piper beings where any treatment of God in relation to creation must, with the fullness of his own self-existence and self-sufficiency. God does not create the world out of some lack of deficiency, contrary to much popular theology. Rather, God in himself is infinitely rich and self-sufficient (chap. 1). When we understand this we can truly see creation for what it is, namely, and overflow of his nature in the outward display of his excellencies. And because of this God takes pleasure in the sovereign display of his rule over all that he has made (chap. 2), and in the glorious display of his character in the creation (chap. 3). The pleasure of God in his own fame throughout the nations (chap. 4) is seen as the great motivation of missions. While mission is certainly about the salvation of human souls, the heart and core of missions is about something deeper and broader. God seeks that his name be honored throughout the nations. Missions then is about the spreading of the praise of God among the nations as people turn from their sin and self-reliance to humble and dependent God-reliance, through faith in Christ Jesus the Lord, from every tribe, tongue and nation. He takes pleasure, then, in electing unconditionally those whom he will save (chap. 5), maintaining that salvation is by his work alone, and because all boasting is to be done only in the Lord, God has revealed his purpose to save those whom he chooses. Furthermore, to the same end, he sends his own Son to be the one whom he delights to sacrifice in our place (chap. 6). The staggering truth, that God takes pleasure in bruising his Son, is masterfully described by Piper. What he makes clear is that God's delight in the death of his Son is so not only because it accomplishes the salvation of the elect, but also because it brings honor and glory to his name. Since God has elected from the foundations of the world those whom he will save through the death of his Son, to the glory of his name, if follows that God will do all that is necessary to ensure that his children receive the fullness of blessing he intends them to know (chap. 7). What hope, strength, and joy there is in the realization that God is for us and will not fail to give us all the riches that are ours, by his grace, in Christ. So too, God delights in hearing and answering the prayers of his people (chap. 8). Prayer is God's tool, designed to involve his people in a spirit of expectancy, faith, and longing for God's work to be done. Prayer gives rise to kingdom work, the pursuit of obedience and the seeking of public justice that flows from the lives of those who depend wholly on God and his grace (chap. 9). Finally, and act of obedience that God requires of all his people is that of humbly seeking him in his Word (chap. 10). God conceals himself from the worldly wise and reveals himself to humble infants, to show all that the majesty of his glorious wisdom is from above and can never be known through mere human intellectualism. Yet, while we can only know the wisdom of God by humble reception of his revelation, we are also called earnestly to long for and pursue his wisdom, always recognizing our hopeless inability apart from the gracious and illumination work of his Spirit. New in this revised and updated edition is this tenth chapter dealing with the life of the mind in relation to God's pleasure to reveal his truth to the humble. This chapter alone should be read by all, especially Christian scholars and pastors, in order to combat pride in academic accomplishments and ministry successes. Also new is a lengthy and complete set of study questions covering each chapter in the book. The questions help clarify the main points of each chapter, and many are designed to explore the implications of these truths to practical Christians living. One other new feature is the inclusion of an essay Piper published elsewhere on the challenging question of whether there are two wills of God, a will that would want all saved and a will that chooses only some to be saved. This essay is fantastic treatment of this difficult question as it endeavors to reconcile the tension within two clear strands of biblical teaching. The vision of God portrayed in this book is thoroughly biblical, theologically rich and wondrous, and highly exalting of the greatness, goodness and glory of God. Sadly it is nearly unknown in either its basic conceptions or, even more so, in its rich and vivid detail by the vast majority of those who call themselves conservative, biblical, evangelical Christians. How can it be that so few have been taught such wondrous truth? One solution to this bankruptcy of theological understanding would be to have more and more of our Christian institutions and seminary students read Piper's The Pleasures of God (as well as Desiring God). These should be also standard fare in church libraries, not to mention the curriculum for Sunday school classes and Bible study groups. No two books capture better, in ways that are understandable to contemporary readers, the vision of the glorious God of the Bible and what this means for living the lives God has called his people to live. If it is true that God is glorified most in us as we are satisfied most in him, them we must posses within ourselves, and present to the students in the classroom as well as the person in the pew, a vision of God that is compelling, one that displays why the pursuit of him alone will bring us the satisfaction for which we long so deeply. The works of John Piper aid this vision, and for this I can only give to God great and abiding thanks.

Life transforming insights Jan 1, 2008

I'm involved in a weekly Bible study using this book. The richness and spiritual quality of intimate relationship with God as expressed through Mr Piper is unsurpassed in present day devotionals. Highly recommended for those desiring to do more than just read a book; it is for those willing to put God's principles into practice.

A Good One Nov 24, 2007

I bought this book based on how many times I saw it on different people's Recommended Reading lists. I've read slowly through the first two chapters so far, because the book is rich with things I haven't heard before and is very beneficial. It's already directly impacted my life and I look forward to reading the rest, one chapter at a time.

Spiritual Food For The Hungry Soul Sep 28, 2007

This book was placed in the Top 100 of the 20th Century by World Magazine.

Piper starts off without making anything else his intention, but merely bringing glory to God. At first one is weighed-down by the great intellect on display by Piper. As I continued to read, I was carried along with Piper in the Calvinistic doxology to God's greatness. Piper further describes God as:

'He never becomes the victim of circumstance. He is never forced into a situation where He must do something in which He cannot rejoice.'pg 62

'His passion to save and to purify feeds itself not from the shallow soil of our value, but from the infinite depth of His own.'pg 97

'He was not influenced by the moral fitness of Abraham or of the people of Israel...'pg 128

'He is free to choose whomever He pleases, even if He has to create a child by miraculous birth.'pg 130

'God contradicts what human merit might dictate. He hides from the wise and reveals to the most helpless and unaccomplished.'pg 135

'God does not simply elect Christ (Acts 2:23), and then wait on human self-determination to govern who will be in Christ. Your union with Christ is the choice and work of God.'pg 136

'God undertakes with omnipotence to save His people. He plans it in election, and He achieves it thru the work of His Son, and He applies it infallibly by his Holy Spirit thru faith.'pg 145

'God has overcome every obstacle that would keep Him from lavishing kindness on us forever.'pg 186

'God is not defeated in the triumphs of His righteous judgment.'pg 337

'God is not held hostage in the prison of disappointment by the disobedience of men.'

pg 338

This book is a blessing once having completed the morass of intellectualism, but ranks as a beautiful tome to our Sovereign Lord and God. Piper only attempts to draw us into this reality, which truly is done by unique and gifted, almost inspired, writing.

A worthy effort to God's praise.

*'Are There Two Wills In God?' is appended. It is found in 'Still Sovereign', eds. Schreiner & Ware, and is a defense of Calvinism.

A good introduction to Reformed Theology Aug 8, 2007

Have you ever wondered why God does what he does? Have you ever wondered what God's ultimate aim is? John Piper answers these questions with incredible precision and solid Biblical support in his usual, passionate, heartfelt, worshipful style. God's ult8imate aim is to display and uphold the infinate value of his own glory. His aim isn't to preserve man's autonomy or 'free will' as some would say. God is the most valuable being in the universe who deserves to be loved, cherished and admired above all things even man. Man is not the center of the universe. God is. He does all things for his self and, as Piper tries to point out, for our good. The two are not at odds with each other. As another reviewer has said, this is one of Pipers more difficult books to read. If you are of an Arminian persuasion then be warned, John is staunchly Calvinistic even though he rarely mentions the word Calvinism in his books. If you are not familiar with reading Theological works then prepared to be stretched and placed into the world of an inftinately valuable and glorious God.

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